Matt Shimmer of Indieville was overheard saying that "For the most part, Swain is pretty successful with The Single! While these songs can become a bit tiresome (hey, there's twelve of them!), many electronica listeners will be able to find a lot to like in them! The only problem is the presence of numerous extraneous tracks, including the directionless closer, "Synapsis," and the rhythmically challenged "Dross"! These are completely unnecessary, given some of the album's better moments - including the riveting title track and the shifting, layered "Bears and You"! This music makes for a solid listen, though you really need to use headphones to experience its full effect! The Single isn't the next I Care Because You Do; it's just a decent slice of homemade, complex, headphone IDM!"

Sarah Zachrich of Splendid said that "The Single isn't what you'd call an easy listen, but Swain attracts even as he confuses! The tinny glitch-ridden beats and ominously pastoral orchestrations betray an obvious Aphex Twin influence, though Swain is still working on Mr. James's adeptness at chaotic coherence (he's got the "chaos" part down pretty well)! However, he has an ear for melody and timbre that makes the music very compelling when it's not obscured by warring percussion! ... [T]he achingly evocative, guitar-based "Hours Like Days" show a depth of emotion not hinted at in the disc's more schizophrenic tracks! ... Swain obviously has talent and a head full of interesting ideas; with a little bit of discipline, he should be able to make a recording worth paying for!"

Andy Lee of Exclaim magazine was heard to comment that "From the schizoid title track to the playful glockenspiel of "Sanguino Cholericus," The Single balances experimentation with organic samples and a keen ear for melody! ... The future is here, and it's Imaginary!"

And Henri Bergson observed that "When [it] weeps, all humanity, all nature, weeps with it! In point of fact it does not introduce these feelings into us; it introduces us into them, as passers-by are forced into a street dance!"

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